A Less Known But Very Capable, Reliable. Review on Yamaha Crux

I am writing this review only because Mouthshut reviews helped me a lot to decide for my first bike n now its my turn to help others in making a informed decision by sharing my experience with Yamaha Crux.

I purchased a maroon colored Yamaha Crux in the last week of March 2014 from Nagpur(Tajshree Yamaha) after an extensive research on 100-110cc bikes. Having test driven Honda Dream Yuga/Neo, Bajaj discover 100, Hero passion x pro, I finally shortlisted Honda dream neo.

There was nothing particularly against the Honda dream neo but the day I test drove Yamaha Crux(YC), I was simply floored. There was a feel of flight of a free bird while riding it that imo resulted from a combination of semi-naked simplistic design and a free revving, rev happy engine that keeps on pulling so cleanly within the range of real world(not hypothetical n  F-1 speeds) commuters speeds that it gives great pleasure to ride it. Finally I went for YC.

Till date, I have covered 1250 kms and first service is done. Now I would like to share with u all what I have observed about this bike in past two months approx-

1. Looks n style: Highly subjective. For me its classical, simplistic, no nonsense n semi naked theme is very appealing.

   
   




2. Build: Solid, strong n sturdy is all I can say. This machine is built to last. Be its chassis, engine, or wheels; everything feels rock solid and gives confidence on riding. Switchgear, though functional, is outdated. So is the meter consoles and centre stand. Yamaha could definitely have done better in this department. Absence of a pass flasher switch which is standard in all bikes across every range, is missed. No engine guard is supplied by Yamaha for this bike. So u have to go for an aftermarket one. Seat is long, flat, very comfortable and is particularly liked by ladies.

   
   




3. Engine:  106cc engine is refined and very smooth. Engine sound is nice. Power n torque(don't want to go into figures) is good for its class and comparable to any other bike of this segment. Power delivery is smooth n linear. Initial torque(at lower rpms) is a bit on lower side that may translate into a bit of uneasiness at lower speeds say less than 10-15 kph. But once you are past that, you will have no complaints about anything. This engine is very happy to be revved and keeps going on and on and on as you open the throttle. And this is what really impressed me, so much so that I ended up buying it. This bike does very good in city traffic but in my true opinion, it is made for long commutes on highways.

   
   




4. Tyres n Brakes:  Both Tyres(Dunlope) without any doubt are thinner, could have been better. But they provide decent grip on normal surfaces. Grip is less on loose surfaces. Brakes are both 130mm drums and are excellent and life saving, much better than Hero Honda splendor/passion, Honda shine the other bikes at my home. They don't betray u under hard braking and One can virtually lock the wheels at will.

   
   

At least two times they have saved me during emergency. Dunlop tyres compliment well with the brakes. No skidding while braking.

1. Ride n Handling:  The suspensions especially rear ones are a shame for Yamaha. They are extremely hard and you feel that u are riding a bike without rear suspension. All the shocks are virtually absorbed by your backbone, definitely not recommended for a person with back problem. Even I can feel stiffness in my back after a daily ride of two months.

Planning to replace it with a good n softer ones, NEED SUGGESTION FRIENDS, PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT GOOD COMPATIBLE REAR SUSPENSIONS.

A word of advice for Yamaha; use better rear suspensions and replace that of current customers or it will alone damage the sales chart of crux.

Other than that the ride is very stable n pliant, no vibrations even at higher speeds. Seat is extremely comfortable and u don't feel tired even after long rides.

1. Mileage: Before first service, I got 72 kmpl(60% highway 40% city driving). After service, I m yet to calculate it. Will update u as soon as I find it. So, a very good fuel efficiency, one of the best in class.

Till date, no faults and no expenses.

Will keep you updating on further developments. Ride safely and responsibly.

Regards!

hi friends, hope u all doing fine.

I m back with some useful UPDATE on my Yamaha Crux that I would like to share with u all. Having driven it for 9 months now, I have observed following about this bike-

The engine is going good without any problems. However, I must admit that its low torque especially at lower RPMs becomes conspicuous in city traffic and u have to downshift to keep the momentum going. Given the capacity(106 cc) of this engine, Yamaha could definitely have tune it for a better torque and power delivery. Some other bikes in competition with relatively lower capacity have better torque and power on offer. Yamaha should definitely look into this.

However, on highways no complaints. As I have mentioned earlier in this review, this bike feels more at home while on highways. I won't say that its the best engine out there for highway cruising. But the build of bike mated with its sturdy engine makes a good recipe for highways. One can cruise at 60 kph all day long on this bike without any issues. Although I have not stretched it beyond 75 kph, it can definitely go ahead of it. Bike is stable at speeds and handling is very good. A lot has been already said about its comfortable seat and seating position. I would only say that I have driven it non stop for 160 kms on more than one occasions without any problems.

The suspension especially the rear one is not the ideal out there. It was extremely hard when new. I got it set at the softest setting. Since then its slightly better. However it is still hard at low speeds(city driving). But on highways(high speeds), the harder suspension system becomes an advantage and contributes significantly to the handling of the bike. Nevertheless, the suspension set up is not up to the mark when compared to market competition and I would sincerely suggest Yamaha to change the suspensions of Crux with some modern and contemporary units.

Mileage on an average, has been around 60-65 kmpl in city and 68-75 kmpl on highways. No need to mention that mileage highly depends upon driving style and I have been able to extract mileage of up to 80 kmpl on a few occasions. Overall, Happy with it !

Service of Yamaha(at Amravati, Maharashtra) has been strictly satisfactory. Although I have not faced yet any serious problem with my bike and hence their service quality remains to be tested.

I cannot conclude this update without mentioning the exceptional build quality of this bike. It is and feels sturdy under all circumstances. I have subjected it to worst kind of roads and quite roughly too but still I am not able to find any wear n tear or rattling sound of any body parts as is very common with some other bikes. It is really something confidence inspiring about Crux.

Maintenance: Replaced the bulb of Headlamp(Rs. 60/-) which got fused one month back.